Motion controller with Ethernet

Galil Motion Control has introduced the DMC-41x3 motion controller series which it says offers a number of enhancements compared to the prior Econo controllers. Features include Ethernet 100Base-T, a USB 2.0 port, higher speed performance, larger program memory, analogue inputs, and optically isolated I/O.

"Compared to the older DMC-21x3 Econo Ethernet controller, the new DMC-41x3 controller offers many speed improvements and can accept encoder inputs up to 15MHz and close-the-loop as fast as 62 microseconds," said Lisa Wade, vice president of Sales and Marketing at Galil. "It also offers twice as much memory for user-programs and arrays."

The DMC-41x3 operates stand-alone or interfaces to a pc with Ethernet 10/100Base-T or USB. An auxiliary RS232 port is also provided. The product is available in one through eight axis formats, and each axis is user configurable for stepper or servo motor operation. The controller can be connected with external drives of any power range or with Galil's multi-axis (500W per axis) servo drives or 60V, 3A microstepping drives. Galil drives install directly onto the DMC-41x3 controller, fitting inside the metal enclosure and saving space, cost and wiring.

Standard I/O of the DMC-41x3 controller includes 16 optically isolated inputs and outputs for the 1-4 axis models and 32 I/O for the 5-8 axis models. Eight analogue inputs are provided in addition to optically isolated forward and reverse limits and a home input for each axis. Other controller features include PID compensation with velocity and acceleration feedforward, memory for user programs, multitasking for simultaneously running up to eight programs, and I/O processing for synchronising motion with external events. Modes of motion include point-to-point positioning, position tracking, jogging, linear and circular interpolation, contouring, electronic gearing, ECAM and PVT.

The DMC-41x3 controller and drive package is 8.1 x 7.25 x 1.5in for the 1- thru 4-axis model and 11.5 x 7.25 x 1.5in for the 5- thru 8- axis model. It accepts power from a single 20-60 VDC source. The DMC-41x3 is available as a card-level product or packaged in a metal enclosure.